Ohio adoptive father accused of raping 3 children

TROY, Ohio – An adoptive father in western Ohio has been accused of raping three children and allowing other men to have sex with one of them, allegations that a family services official on Wednesday called "heinous."

The 39-year-old man was being held on $800,000 bond on three counts of rape and one of compelling prostitution. A message left for the county public defender's office, which is representing him, wasn't immediately returned. The Associated Press is withholding the man's name to protect the children's identities.

The man was jailed Feb. 24. He lives in Troy, a city of some 25,000 people about 20 miles from Dayton.

The Dayton Daily News reported earlier that the man had adopted three children and was in the process of adopting a fourth who lived with him.

Troy police said one boy, age 10, told them two other men besides the suspect had sex with him. The children aren't all birth siblings and include three boys and a 9-year-old girl. Police said the other two boys, ages 9 and 12, also said the suspect had sex with them.

Further details about the children weren't released. A message left at the Miami County children's services agency wasn't immediately answered.

Troy police said an undercover detective from Franklin County had talked to the suspect online about setting up sex with the 10-year-old boy, leading to his arrest.

"We're hoping that we don't have any other (victims) and we hope that we have stopped this before it got any further," Troy police Capt. Chris Anderson said.

The children had been adopted through a private agency. Ben Johnson of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said the state will review how the adoptions took place. He called the allegations "heinous, horrific, awful."